Expansible wood downspout



April 10, 1945. H E HALL 2,373,394

EXPANSIBLE WOOD DOWNSFOUT Filed Oct. 27, 1943 Patented Apr. 10, 1945 rwoon nownsrou r 7 Harry E. Hall, St. Paul, Minn, *assignor *to Gen :eral-Timberseritice, Inc.,'S-t. Paul, Mini-macarporation of Deliiwarc Application October '27, 1913,.fieriaLNo.15085085 CLIIBS -Z'K '3 Claims.

It is an object of this invention to provide .a novel wood -downspout which is protected against damage from internal pressures such as those created by the formation of ice in the liquid together bythe use .ofmairs of screws .1 i extend in perpendicularly to the wider races of these members- Expansi n tn-f .the downspout along joints I is permitted by providing coiled compassage. 5 pression springs l2 which are confined on the A further object is to provide an expansible screws H in countersink recesses l3 formed in downspout which is adapted to be formed from the member I. The springs l2 normally hold two similar pieces of inexpensive, standard stock the joints I5 between the members 6 and I closed, such as ordinary 2 x 4 members, and wherein the with the wedge shaped tongues 9 firmly seated in molded component wood members are held to- 10- the grooves II). This prevents the escape of liquid gether by screws and springs which permit the during the normal use of the downspout. In case necessary expansion. the downspout should becomefilled with ice M, as Other objects will appear and be more fully indicated in 4, the necessary expansion of pointed out in the following specification and the conduit to relieve excessive internal pressure claims, is permitted by the springs l2 which are com- Referring to the accompanying drawing: pressed under the heads of the screws l l, allowing Figure l is an isometric View showing m imthe longitudinal joints l5 to open, as shown. 7 proved downspout in connection with an ordinary Upon t e melting o the i t p gs exp wood gutter and also illustrating simple means and automatically close the Si Openingsfor making a downspout connection with a'gutter In the assembly Views, F 1 and 2, yv which is offset from the face of a building; proved downspout is shown in connection with a Fig. 2is afragmentary, vertical section through oo utte 6 and e OWS suita le o a g a portion of the downspout and offset gutter; the connection with the gutter I6 where the lat- Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through my device ter is off t from the fac f a uildin wa l (not near its upper end; shown). Such elbows may be constructed from Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross section illustrating S t s s and 0f e dowhspollthavihg the expanded condition of the members which is d Surfaces cut at que angles '9 t0 fit permitted when my device becomes filled ith gether end to end, and with the lower end of the ice, and section I8 connected to the upper end of the Fig. 5 is a, perspective view showing a, portion straight section below. It Will be evident that of one of the component wood members of my the length of the Oblique Section must be p device. portioned to the extent of the offset of the gutter Channel shaped wood memb r 6 d 1 from the building face in each installation. Sheet stitute the principal components of my improved metal elbows (Figs- 2 and a p fe ab y downspout. For cond it sizes up t t and eused within each wood elbow to retain the sections half inches in internal diameter, the members 6 in alignment at their ends and to tate the and 1 may be molded from 2 x 4 stock. Each of making of leak-Proof jointse metal OWS thes members ha cylindrical channel 8 20 should be sealed in the encasing wood conduits tending longitudinally t for half of the intemm 40 and within the gutter opening by the use of white water passage. The surfaces of th members 5 lead or other sealing composition to prevent leakand 1 which fit together in the assembled conduit age at the end jointsare f rm d th wedge-shaped tongues 9 and Erom the foregoing, it will be evident that my grooves in, extending longitudinally of the memimproved downspout requires f its construcbers as best shown in Fig. 5. A tongue 9 extends tion Only Simple molding operations on Standard along one edge of the member 6 t fit i t-, groove wood stock and the fastening means comprising in the member 1 and the opposite edge of the h r ws nd prin s are, simp e nd a y t member 6 has a, wedge shaped groove Io adapted appl it r at t a y r in tu. nc to receive a similar tongue on the member 1. p the screws are accessible from the outer face of This construction simplifies the fabrication by y d v ce t ey a f d m ans for openin e making it feasible to use the same machine for Wa r p s e for the removal of obstructions shaping the members 6 and 1, these members Which are sometimes allowed to accum-ulate in being identical except as to the drilled holes for conduits of this class. Eiiective rotection against fastening devices. damage from freezing is afforded. by my improve- The members 6 and 1 are preferably connected ments without substantially increasing the cost downspouts.

Having described my invention, what I claim 7 as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent 1. A downspout comprising a pair of longitudinally extending wood members molded to form a, liquid conduit between themi wedge' shaped contact surfaces formed on said members and extending longitudinally thereof to coact one with another in sealing the joint between said of threaded fasteners, each anchored in one of members, screws loosely connecting said members together and compression springs confined on said screws in countersink reqessesin one of said members to normally close (the joint between said members, said springs and screws pera one end in one of said members and having a shank portion fitting loosely in a countersink recess in the opposite member and 'a helical spring confined under compression on the shank of each of said fasteners, said springs and fasteners permitting separation of said members under predetermined internal pressure in the conduit.

3. A conduit'compris'irig separable, oppositely disposed, longitudinally extending members forming the walls of a conduit and means connect wing said members together comprising a plurality said members and having a shank portion which ;,is movable in a countersink recess in the opposite mitting expansion of the condvitunder the internal pressure exerted by freezing of thecontents.

2. A conduit comprising separable, oppositely :member and a helical spring confined under compression on the shank of each of said fasteners, said spring being completely enclosed within said recess and said springs and fasteners per-- mitting expansion of the conduit under the internal pressure exerted by freezing of the contents.

HARRY E. HALL. 

